A project was undertaken at Kirkwood Community College to develop a full-time and part-time competency based program to educate water and wastewater treatment plant operators. First, a survey was conducted to identify the job tasks performed by the operators, their frequency, importance, and necessity. A questionnaire listing 651 tasks divided into six subject areas (management, human relations, wastewater collection, wastewater treatment, water treatment, and water distribution) was sent out to operators at three job levels. Based on responses from 231 operators, 439 tasks were found to be significant in plant operation. It was then necessary to revise the existing curriculum to address these tasks more fully and to convert it to a competency based format. A competency based testing program was developed to permit students to "test out" of instructional units, and the curriculum was changed to allow entry at various times. To evaluate the program, four types of measurement were used: (1) course effectiveness, measured by a computerized campus system, called SPOT, which is administered to students upon program completion; (2) instructor effectiveness; (3) student skills performance, which includes a basic math skills test upon entry and a remedial program, called PAD, to correct math and reading deficiencies; and (4) postgraduate job performance. (A sample competency based curriculum guide is included for the course, basic laboratory skills.) (ELG)